mTOR, a new potential target for chronic pain and opioid-induced tolerance and hyperalgesia

Mol Pain. 2015 May 30:11:32. doi: 10.1186/s12990-015-0030-5.

Abstract

Chronic pain is a major public health problem with limited treatment options. Opioids remain a routine treatment for chronic pain, but extended exposure to opioid therapy can produce opioid tolerance and hyperalgesia. Although the mechanisms underlying chronic pain, opioid-induced tolerance, and opioid-induced hyperalgesia remain to be uncovered, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is involved in these disorders. The mTOR complex 1 and its triggered protein translation are required for the initiation and maintenance of chronic pain (including cancer pain) and opioid-induced tolerance/hyperalgesia. Given that mTOR inhibitors are FDA-approved drugs and an mTOR inhibitor is approved for the treatment of several cancers, these findings suggest that mTOR inhibitors will likely have multiple clinical benefits, including anticancer, antinociception/anti-cancer pain, and antitolerance/hyperalgesia. This paper compares the role of mTOR complex 1 in chronic pain, opioid-induced tolerance, and opioid-induced hyperalgesia.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Analgesics, Opioid / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Chronic Pain / metabolism*
  • Drug Tolerance / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Hyperalgesia / drug therapy
  • Hyperalgesia / metabolism*
  • Pain Threshold / physiology
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Analgesics, Opioid
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases